Gate opener



Dec. 25, 1951 I 5, Nb 2,579,463

GATE OPENER Filed May 3, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVEN TOR. [Wadffierg/armj amr ATTD RN EYE Dec. 25, 1951 5, BERGLUND v2,579,463

GATE OPENER Filed May 3, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I N VEN TOR.

[770c% 8.5a" [and ATTU RN EYE Patented Dec. 25, 1951 Enoch S. Berglund,Stillwater, Minn. V

Application May 3, 1949, Serial No. 91,137

This invention relates to a gate operating mechanism, and moreparticularly to a mechanism for opening and closing a farm gate.

The object of the invention is to provide a .mechanism which will enablethe occupant of a vehicle to open and close the gate without alightingfrom the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a gate operating devicewhich is constructed so that a person can open and close the gatewithout dismounting from a horse, or alighting from a vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a gate operating devicewhich is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture. I

with the operating mechanism, according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the gate provided with theoperating mechanism;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 1s an enlarged side elevational view of the shaft support shownin Figure 4.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I designates a roadwaywhich may run in any direction as for example, east and west, or northand south. Supported in the ground is a vertically. disposed hollow postII, and a gate I2 is mounted for swinging movement about the verticallydisposed post II. A pair of spaced parallel brackets I3 and I4 hingedlyconnect the gate I2 to the post I I and the position of the brackets I3and I4 can be varied as desired in order to support gates of varioussizes.

The present invention is directed to a device for automatically openingand closing the gate I2. Thus, an occupant of a vehicle or a personmounted on a horse can open the gate without alighting from the vehicleor without dismounting from the horse. Arranged in spaced parallelrelation with respect to the post I I is a vertically disposed upright Iand the gate I2 and the upright I5 are provided with a conventionalcoacting latch mechanism I6 which normally maintains the gate I2 lockedwhen the gate I2 is in its closed position as shown in Figure 2.

Rotatably supported by the top of the post II is a first horizontallydisposed shaft I1, and an 2 Claims. (01. s9- -51) actuating arm I8 is,connectedto the firstishaft I! by means of a pin I8, Figure 4. Connectedto one end of the arm I8.is a pair of cables or lines 28, whileconnected to the other endyoi the arm I8 is a similar pair of cables orcords 2 I. The cables 28 and 2I extend parallel with the roadway I0 andare adapted to be grippedand I pulled by the user to rotate the arm I8when the gate is to be opened or closed. .The cables 20 and 2I may havea counterweight connected-to their outer or free ends so that after theuser has pulled on the cables to open the gate, the counterweights willreturn the gateto its normal 'or closed position. The shaft I'Iprojects'through an opening 22 in the post II, and a sleeve 23 iscircumposed on the shaft H, the sleeve 23 serving to maintain the arm I8in proper spaced relation. A washer 24 is circumposed on the shaft I1and is arranged within the post I I. A bevel gear 25 is mounted on theinner end ofthe shaft I1 and is secured on'the latter by means of a pin26. Arranged in meshing engagement with the bevel gear 25 is a secondbevel gear 21 which is mounted on a second shaft 28. A pin 29 serves tomaintain the bevelgear 2'I fixed on the shaft 28. Thus, upon rotation ofthe shaft H, the shaft 28 is caused to rotate since the gear 25 and gear2'! are arranged in meshing engagement with each other. However,'-inplace of using intermeshing gears for connecting the shafts together,other coupling means may be used, such as a universal joint, or aflexible shaft.

The shaft support 30 is provided for maintaining the shaft I1 and 28 inalignment and the shaft support 38 includes a pair of diverging socketmembers 3I and 32 which rotatably receive therein the inner ends of theshafts I! and 28 respectively. The support 38 is provided with a pair ofinteriorly threaded recesses 33 and 33 which threadably receives thereinset I screws 34, Figure 4, for maintaining the shaft support 30immobile. Circumposed on the shaft 28 and arranged contiguous to theinner surface of the post II is a washer 35. A sector shaped plate 36 isarranged contiguous to the outer surface of the post II, and suitablesecuring elements, such as screws 31, secure the plate 36 to the postII. The plate 38 is provided with a plurality of spaced openings 38therein for receiving and snugly holding stop members 39 and 48, and thestop members 39 and 48 can be positioned in any of the openings 38desired in order to limit pivotal or swinging movement of the bar M. Apin 42 connects the bar M to the shaft 28, so that movement of the arml8 causes the bar 4| also to move, the bar 4| beingarranged contiguousto and in sliding relation with respect to the plate 36.

The upper end of the bar 4| is provided with a plurality of spacedopenings 42 which are adapted to selectively receive a wire hook 43therein. Carried by the wire hook 43 is a pair of cables 46 and 48,thecable 46 being connected to a springffl. 'j'llhejspring 41 isconnected tothe slide bolt of thelatchlS, so thatrotation of the arm 4|disengages the slide bolt of the latch lfi v, I

to thereby permit the gate to be swung open.

The line or cable 48 is connected to a spring 49, and the spring 49 isconnected to an eye bolt 50 which is connected or secured td thend'ofth'e gate l2. Thus, movement of the bar;-4l ;.wi-1lh'e'ctin'g"said'gat'e to saiwpost, a vertically discause swingingmovement of the gate l2 at the same time that the latch I6 is beingopened.

A cap 5| is arrangedin threaded engagement i'wtih the'threadedzex-terior portion 52 ofthe post 2-:'||:to protect the innerworking parts of :the gate iop'eliating mechanism from adverse weatherconiqditions, such as'rain, dust, snow and thelike.

' "lhzuseywithrthe gate |2.in3its closed-position andc extending iacrossthe roadway, H), an occurepan'tzofa vehicle or a person mounted on ahorse -canuopen' the gate without the necessity of sxalighting-irom thevehicle or dismounting fro-1n To open the gate, the person pulls" zztheanimal. ".son the:ca=b1'es=2 0:01" 2| depending onthe direction"'ofztravel of the person. By pulling on-the cables 201101 2|; the arm|8-is rotated, thereby'rotating "theshaft |'|,1and'this in turn resultsin a rotati'o'nsof :the shaft :218;since the'gears 25 and 21;:

were arranged in meshing'engagement -with each other. The :rotation ofthe shaft 28 causes the :i'bar- 4 -|-to-'rotate orpivot and the pivotalmovement-of the bar 4| can be limited by inserting the stop; members 39in the proper openings 38.

-Rotation-ofthe bar 4| causes a tension to be 'exerted on the spring41-through the line 46 so othat the latch I6 is opened to permitswinging movementof the gate |2. At the same time,

u novement of;- the .bar- 4| causes the gate I? to;

swing fIOIllltS solid line position, shown in Fig- .ure 1-, to thedottedlinepositionso that the vehicle can pass downqthe roadway ;|fl.Additionally, there-is provided an opening .53 which is adapted posedupright spaced from said post and supported by the ground, coactinglatch means on "saidr gate and upright for selectively maintaining saidgate locked, a first horizontally disposed shaft rotatably supported bythe top oi said post,

an arm connected to said first shaft, cables connected to said arm forturning the latter to thereby' rotate said first shaft, a second shaftrotatably supported by said post, intermeshing bevel gears connectingsaid first shaft to-"said second shaft, a-sector-shapedplate securedtothe top of said post and'provided with a plurality of spaced openings,abar' arranged in sliding relationwith respect to :said plate andconnectedto said: second shaft; means arranged in the' 'openings in saidplate for limiting'movement"ofsaid 4 bar, and means connecting 'said bartosaid'latch means and to said gate, said last-namedmeans comprising ahook connected toathe upper'ehdof *said bar, cablescomiected 'to-"said'hook, and

springs connected to said cables. M --2. The apparatus--' as described"in :claim 1,

wherein the means'inthe openings in the plate embodies stop members-anda cap-arranged in threaded engagement with :theupper end of. said postfor protecting theinner working parts'of the gate-operating=-m.echanism.

ENOCH s. BERdLuNn.

REFERENGES fiiTED The following references aredrrecord'm the file ofthis patent: 1

1 UNITE STATES ATENTS 1 Number V 7 Name Date 5168,6512 Glements Oct.22,190? 916,807 Vest Mar.,30, 19109 a 943,387

